What’s the difference between burnout and workplace fatigue?

Ever feel worn out before the day has even gotten started? Maybe you drag your feet heading out the front door or feel like if you have to walk into work one more day forcing a smile, you’ll scream. Burnout is very real – more than half of mid-level workers surveyed by the National Alliance on Mental Illness reported feeling burned out by work, with nearly 40% saying they sometimes felt too overwhelmed to function.

While feelings of stress, overwhelm and fatigue may be common, they’re not inevitable. Family medicine nurse practitioner Jennifer Hoffman, FNP, explained how to tell the difference between burnout and workplace fatigue and how to prevent those feelings from wrecking the workday.

What is workplace fatigue?

“Workplace fatigue is a state of physical, mental or emotional exhaustion caused by prolonged activity, insufficient rest or excessive workload stress,” said Hoffman. “It can occur after poor sleep, physically strenuous work or feeling emotionally stressed at work.”

Long work hours, consecutive shifts and work that involves a lot of demands on your mental energy can also contribute to or cause you to feel workplace fatigue.

“The good news is that fatigue is often temporary,” added Hoffman. “With adequate sleep, rest breaks, hydration, good nutrition and the opportunity to take time off as needed, employees can usually recover that lost energy and get back to their usual workplace performance levels.”

Think of your body like a cell phone. If you have a lot of apps going, the battery loses charge faster and faster. Recharging the battery has it working like new. When you feel the symptoms of fatigue, your body is begging you to recharge its battery.

What are the most common symptoms of fatigue?

“Almost everyone has felt fatigued now and then,” said Hoffman. “Think those afternoons when you just can’t seem to concentrate and find yourself making silly mistakes you would never normally make.”

You might also feel physically drained, slow to react or struggle with being irritable or totally disengaged with the demands of the day.

In workplace settings like healthcare, construction or travel-based positions like truck driving, fatigue could risk the safety of workers and patients, customers or other drivers on the road.

What is burnout?

“Burnout is a chronic psychological condition caused by prolonged, unmanaged workplace stress,” said Hoffman. “Unlike fatigue, burnout isn’t going to be improved by a night or two of good sleep.”

The World Health Organization identifies burnout as an occupational syndrome characterized by exhaustion, increased mental distance and cynicism or detachment from work.

Returning to the metaphor about your body as a cell phone, think of burnout as a system malfunction. Charging the battery won’t fix the deeper problem.

Symptoms of burnout

“People who are experiencing burnout at work often have symptoms that mirror depression,” said Hoffman. “You might feel emotionally numb or lack motivation to engage even in the parts of life you usually enjoy.”

Symptoms of burnout also include:

• Feeling cynical or detached
• Dreading going to work
• Feeling ineffective despite working hard
• Withdrawing from coworkers or patients
• Feeling anxious, depressed or hopeless

Those who work in care-based professionals like nursing, teaching or social work are at a higher risk for burnout, as the pressure to provide emotional labor is high and understaffing is common.

How can we prevent workplace fatigue?

“Preventing workplace fatigue requires both organizational and personalized strategies,” said Hoffman. “Employer and employees can all be a part of building a better work environment.”

For starters, Hoffman encourages employers to make sure their workers get enough time between shifts to recover physically and mentally, limit excessive overtime and ensure their workforce can get enough rest.

Hoffman’s other tips for preventing workplace fatigue include:

• Mandate breaks during shifts: Skipping meals and rest breaks contributes to fatigue and burnout. Encourage employees to step away, take a break and breathe. This will help improve stamina and focus and lower the risk for dangerous errors.
• Address staffing shortages: An understaffed workforce is one forced to work longer hours, take extra shifts and struggle under heavy workloads. With adequate staff, you have more chances to catch an error before it becomes a problem, and a more bearable workload for each employee.
• Promote healthy sleep habits: Setting up a consistent sleep routine is key, especially for night-shift workers or employees with rotating shifts. It may be helpful if the organization itself provides education about the best ways to get into a healthy sleep routine.
• Reduce the mental workload: Constant interruptions, overwhelming multitasking demands and the need for excessive documentation and tracking can lead to increased mental fatigue. Streamline and reduce unnecessary or redundant tasks to help lessen the stress.

Being burnt out isn’t a personal weakness

“Workplace fatigue and burnout are signals that something in the work environment needs attention and needs to change,” said Hoffman. “Fatigue may be temporary but could progress to burnout when exhaustion becomes chronic and emotionally draining.”

Organizations that prioritize employee wellness and give their employees the resources and assistance they need to create a good workplace environment, not only improve morale but also enhance safety, retention, productivity and overall workplace culture.

Prevention starts with recognizing that rest alone is not always enough. Sustainable workplaces require support, balance and systems designed with human limits in mind.